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News

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Now, researchers have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil. In a new study, the researchers show that consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain -- classic markers of Alzheimer's disease.

A vaccine to immunize people against high levels of cholesterol and the narrowing of the arteries caused by build-up of fatty material (atherosclerosis) may be possible following successful results in mice. Now, a phase I trial in patients has started to see if the findings translate to humans.

A new study advances understanding of how stem cells on the tongue grow into the different types of mature taste cells that detect either sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or umami. By identifying novel genes and molecular pathways involved in shaping a taste cell's function, these findings may someday allow scientists to treat taste disorders, characterize new taste qualities, or even fine-tune taste perception to encourage healthier eating.

A powder that contains concentrated extract from the vegetable could prove indispensable to people with type 2 diabetes. The extract reduced blood sugar levels by up to 10 per cent in people with the disease.

In 2009, Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco delivered a ninety minute lecture entitled “Sugar: The Bitter Truth”. It was posted on YouTube as part of the university’s medical education series. Then a funny thing happened. It went viral.

The quirkiest organ in the human body may be a large sheet of fat that stretches over the intestines, liver, and stomach like an elastic apron. Sometimes called the 'policeman of the abdomen,' the omentum is known to secrete hormones related to obesity, and we're still learning new information about its functions. In a review, researchers discuss how the omentum is also an important immune organ.